Hoop skirt



L. H. DAY. HOOP SKIRT.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

LYMAN H. DAY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

HOOP-SK |RT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,806, dated J'u1y21, 1885.

Application filed April 15, 1835.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LYMAN H. DAY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city, county, and State of New York, have i11- vented certain Improvements in Hoop-Skirts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of hoopskirts which comprise an upper bustle-portion and a lower skirt-portion. These are usually made of skeleton form, being composed of springs and tapes.

My invention is equally applicable to bustles and panniers, as it relates wholly to the bustle portion of the skirt.

My object is to brace and strengthen the bustle portion of the skirt.

In carrying out my invention as applied to a hoop-skirt otherwise constructed in the ordinary or any suitable manner, I run an extra steel bracespring, commencing at the top of the side pocket at the right-hand side,near the waistband of the skirt, backward and downward at an angle or obliquely around to about the lower end of the pocket on the opposite or left-hand side-that is, to a point about opposite to the lower point of the hip or upper part of the thigh of the wearer-which in an ordinary niedium-sized skirt will be a point about twelve or fourteen inches below the waistband. I also run another similar brace-spring, commencing at the top of the pocket,near the waistband, on the left-hand side of the skirt, backward and at an angle downward and around to the lower part of the pocket on the right-hand side of the skirt opposite the point where the other brace-spring is attached, as I have described. These two springs form a double-arched brace securely fastened to the skirt at both ends as well as at or near the point where the two brace-springs cross each other at the back, thus forming a positive resistance to sustain and resist pressure on the bustle portion of the skirt in a manner more thorough, simple, .and perfect than has ever before been accomplished.

In order to cause the bustle portion of the skirt to stand out properly from the person of the wearer it has been customary to provide a second internal set of springs, and I also provide these with a double arched brace similar to that above described, all of which will be referred to more particularly hereinafter.

obliquely backward and downward,

(ModeL) In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skirt provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rear or back view of the same. is a vertical section of the upper or bustle portion of the skirt, the section being taken on line 3 3, in Fig. 2. These views show my improvement applied to a skirt wherein the springs or hoops are omitted at the middle third of the skirt, and wherein the hoops do not extend entirely around, but are replaced in front by tapes in a well-known way.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a skirt provided with my improvements, wherein there is no omission of the springs or hoops, and all the springs below the bustle-portion extend entirely around. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the same. These will serve to illustrate the application of my improvements to any hoopskirt of this general character, as well as to panniers.

A represents the bustle portion of the skirt, and B the lower portion or skirt proper.

a a are the ordinary horizontal springs or hoops of the skirt, and b b the vertical tapes to which said springs are attached. Five or more of these tapes are usually employed.

0 is the waistband to which the tapes are secured at their upper ends.

(1 d are what I denominate the side-pockets. These receive the ends of the springs 11 a of the bustle portion, and extend down from Fig. 3 4

the waistband c to or about to the lower point of the hip, usually about one-third of the entire length of the whole skirt.

In Figs. 1 to 3, c e are tapes forming the front of the lower portion of the skirt, and f is an adj ustable tape to extend across the front at the lower ends of the pocket.

So far as above described, the skirt is old and of the usual or a common construction. I will now describe-my improvements.

At 9, on the left side, is attached a bracespring, 1, usually stiffer than the ordinary springs, a, of the skirt. This spring extends and around to the right-hand side of the skirt, where it is attached at the point g, near the bottom of the pocket at on the right-hand side.

At h on the right side is attached a bracespring, 2, in all respects similar to spring 1, which extends obliquely backward and down ward and around to the left side of the skirt, and is attached at h near the bottom of the pocket d on that side. These springs cross each other on the bustle at the center of the back, and are secured, preferably, by clasps at or near the point of crossing. At their ends I usually secure the springs 1 2 to the bustlesprings by clasps, as seen at g g h h-.

In bending springs 1 2, as shown, they are given a slight torsional twist,which adds somewhat to their stiffness and capability of resisting pressure brought directly on the apex or crown of the arch.

I prefer to place the brace-springsinside the bustle, so that they may take behind and support the bustle-springs properly.

It has been customary to provide hoop-skirts with I several bent horizontally arranged springs,i 1', inside the bustle, and to connect these by a tape with each other and with the bustle. These are shorter than the springs or of the bustle, and serve to throw out or protrude the bustle when worn. I employ such springs in the bustle of my skirt, and I provide them with two springs, 3 and 4, arranged to form a double-arched brace, as described,with respect to springs 1 and 2, except that the ends of these brace springs are attached to the springs z'at a point about half way between the middle of the spring 13 and pocket d, and the tape is omitted as unnecessary. These springs 8 4 prevent springs i from being pushed up or collapsed, and brace them thoroughly, while at the same time they offer no obstacle to the compact folding of the skirt for packing and transportation.

. I am aware that it has been proposed to provide a hoop-skirt with a bent spring extending from the side of the skirt at the knee up to the crown of the bustle at the back, and thence down to the opposite side of the skirt to a level with the knee, and I am also aware that cross-springs have been before employed in bustles. This I do not claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A hoop-skirthaving abustle portion, A, provided with a double-arched brace formed of the two springs 1 and 2, arranged substantially as herein described, and provided also with an inner series of horizontal springs, i i, with a double-arched brace formed of the two springs 3 and 4, arranged substantially as herein described.

2. A hoop-skirthaving a bustle portion, A, provided with the horizontal springs 13 z, arranged within the bustle,and a double-arched brace comprising the springs 3 and 4, secured to the springs i, and arranged to cross each other, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LYMAN H. DAY.

Vv'itnessesz HENRY CONNETT, ARTHUR O. FRASER. 

